


Sonata in E♭

by Not_Your_Deers



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Hartley Rathaway has Anxiety, M/M, POV Alternating, POV Cisco Ramon, POV Hartley Rathaway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-06-29 06:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19824241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_Your_Deers/pseuds/Not_Your_Deers
Summary: Hartley Rathaway is Star High's resident jerk. Cisco Ramon, on the other hand, is one of the sweetest people on Earth (or so his friends will claim). When they get paired for a Science Project, chaos is certain. Especially with friends like theirs trying to "help".*I don't own anyone of these characters but like I wish I did*





	1. The Sound and The Fury

Hartley Rathaway banged his head on his desk, trying to be both appropriately violent and incredibly quiet at once. It was cool and slippery against his forehead. He could feel the cold wind from the window, as well. Despite it all, he felt hot. He was sweating.

He sighed, rubbing his arm, and grabbed the black hoodie from on top of his dresser as he left. Hartley shoved it into his bag (equally black, of course) and listened carefully down the stairs. Everything was silent. It seemed he’d be able to make his way out of the house without another incident. 

As Hartley had predicted, the journey to school was uneventful. That is, other than the fighting with anyone who so much as looked at him. He didn’t know why he acted this way. He swore he was a nice guy, really.

In Science, they were being partnered up for an independent research project. Hartley had only bothered to learn the name of one person in the class (the oh-so-adorable Cisco Ramon), so he waited for his partner to approach him, rather than looking at the sheet posted on the teacher’s desk. 

“Look, neither of us like this, but we need to work together, alright?” a familiar voice spoke from behind him. He pulled down his hood, looking curiously at the curly haired boy. 

“Cisquito? Why did it have to be you?” Hartley sighed dramatically, trying desperately to hide his raised heartbeat and shaking hands. He bet he was blushing a little, too. 

“We are the smartest people in the class, Rathaway. Are you really that surprised?”

Cisco sat down with a thud on the seat across from Hartley. He was wearing a bright green Legend of Zelda t-shirt. Hartley was probably one of the few students at the school who even understood the reference, let alone found it funny.

“I suppose not. Though with all the idiots in this class, being the smartest doesn’t mean much.”

“If you’d bother to give us a chance, you’d see we’re all a lot smarter than you give us credit for.”

 _‘Us?’,_ Hartley thought, _‘I was talking about them, not you, Cisco’._ Of course, he didn’t say that. What he said was a whole lot meaner (and, admittedly, a bit flirtatious).

“Oh really? Prove it to me.”

“Well there’s me. And Felicity. She’s on her way to MIT. Barry’s a genius when it comes to forensics, and Eddie’s brilliant, considering he hates science.”

Cisco smiled at Hartley, proud to have showed him up. He might have had a point, but Hartley didn’t know who Felicity, Barry, or Eddie were. Was Eddie that tall brunet? Or was that Barry?

“Nevermind,” Hartley said bitterly, and Cisco grinned even wider, “What do you want to research?”

Cisco opened his mouth, but before he could answer, a voice cut into their conversation. 

“Hartley Rathaway, asking for someone else’s opinion? How the mighty have fallen.”

It was a short, rather handsome blond boy Hartley recognised vaguely from somewhere. He looked at Hartley with such a vicious expression that he knew they had some history - he just needed to remember what it was. Cisco sighed loudly.

“Leave it, Eddie. Aren’t you supposed to be working with Winn?”

So this was Eddie - the boy Cisco had mentioned earlier. That must make Barry the cute nerdy brunet. Eddie slunk away, looking ashamed at his anger, and Cisco smiled apologetically. 

“Sorry. He’s… He’s a bit much. Do you want to come over to my house tonight? So we can figure out a good topic?” 

Hartley nodded cautiously, and accepted the scrap of paper on which Cisco had scribbled the address (this being despite the fact he’d memorised Cisco’s address a long time ago). They sat in silence until the class, the last of the day, was over. 

Cisco walked quickly over to his friends - Eddie and Barry and a tall ginger girl - while Hartley pulled his hood back up and practically ran out of the classroom. Technically, people weren’t allowed to wear hoods or hats on school property, but Hartley had become an exception to that rule within his first week at school. The teachers all let him be out of either fear, or very occasionally pity. He hated the pity. 

He continued his fast pace until he arrived in the run-down old park down the street, where he met with the few friends he had made over the last couple of years. Axel was the only one there when Hartley arrived, as he had the last period of the day off, and so was always on coffee duty. 

Hartley snatched the drink from Axel’s hand, and collapsed down onto the ground beside him. The other boy was wearing one of his less extravagant outfits - a studded black and grey leather jacket, black skinny jeans, and knee high boots. As the only openly gay student in their year, Axel seemed to think ridiculous fashion was required. 

“So, how was your day, mon ami?” he asked Hartley. 

“Well… guess who I got in the science partner project?” Hartley responded wryly.

Axel visibly winced as he realised.

“Your boy? Cisco? That sucks, Hart.”

“I know. Honestly, without you Ax, I wouldn’t make it through the day.”

Hartley awkwardly side hugged Axel, and pulled away quickly as footsteps approached. The rest of their strange little crew had arrived.

There were five of them in total. They called themselves the Rogues. Hartley and Axel were the newest additions to the group, and mainly spent time with each other. This was due to the fact Axel was the only living person who knew Hartley was gay (though the other members certainly suspected). Other than them, the group consisted of two Juniors, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory, as well as Snart’s Sophomore sister, Lisa.

Hartley didn’t get along with Snart, Rory, or Lisa, really. Snart was smart, but even colder than Hartley most of the time. Rory and Lisa were just insane. Though, so was Axel. 

“You idiots blind or something? Have some manners and say hello,” Snart drawled. 

Everything he said sounded dry, unamused, and vaguely cynical. 

“Hello Snart, Rory. Lisa, it’s good to see you.” Axel beamed.

The boy didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Hartley wagered it was going to get him killed one day. Lisa waved almost shyly, biting her lip. Rory just dropped to the floor, grabbing his coffees (all three of them) from Axel. Snart remained standing, even Lisa had perched delicately down onto a rock. He liked to loom over them.

“You started that science project today, Hartley. Isn’t that right, boo?” Lisa asked.

“We started ours two days ago, and you guys are two days behind us,” Axel explained in response to Hartley’s confused expression. 

“Yes. I got Cisco Ramon.”

“Oh. He’s good. I stole his research once.” 

“Which one of your projects was that, Snart?” Hartley asked, eyebrow raised. Snart had a habit of stealing people’s research. And their wallets. Sometimes jewelry.

“Take a guess,” Lisa said with a laugh, answering for her brother as she often did.

The group sat (or, in Snart’s case, stood) there for almost an hour, talking about various trivial things. And Hartley wondered if there was a way he could convince Cisco to miss school next Tuesday, to avoid Axel’s latest prank.

It was soon time to leave, unfortunately, and Hartley called his mother to let her know he’d be going to Cisco’s house after school. When he heard her voicemail, he was honestly rather relieved. He left her a single sentence in explanation, and called an Uber to take him to the Ramon residence. 


	2. Rupture

Dante Ramon spent the entire forty five minute bus ride pretending his brother didn’t exist. His brother, Cisco, spent the entire ride pretending he didn't know what Dante was doing. He prayed for it to be over as fast as it could, and for once it almost felt like his wish came true. 

As soon as he arrived, he jogged down to the meeting point - a big old oak tree between two of the school buildings. He called out to the two figures already waiting beneath it, and they pulled apart reluctantly. The girl’s long hair was messy, and the collar of the boy’s shirt was lopsided. 

“Hey guys. Ronnie, your shirt is a little… uh…” Cisco made a motion towards his neck, and sat down beside his friends.

“Thanks, Cisco,” Ronnie replied, putting the shirt back into place. 

“So, how was your weekend?” Caitlin, the girl, asked.

As Ronnie began to ramble about everything he had done the last few days, Caitlin looked at Cisco, who just shrugged. As with most weeks, he had spent his weekend playing video games in his bedroom, occasionally being dragged out for various family activities. 

A couple of minutes later, Iris and Eddie joined them, hand in hand as always. Despite the fact Barry was on the bus with them, he was nowhere to be seen. He’d probably pop up five minutes later, having gotten distracted.

Cisco passed through most of their discussion (mainly Eddie complaining about Hartley, and Caitlin making out with Ronnie whenever he looked away) and the rest of his day in a haze. 

When eighth period arrived, he finally woke up, and walked up to the front, checking the paper taped onto the desk. 

**_Barry Allen -- Felicity Smoak_ **

That was the wrong list - Cisco’s name would be listed on the next page.

_**Cisco Ramon -- Hartley Rathaway** _

Oh shit. Out of an entire class, he got stuck with Hartley Rathaway. The most arrogant, obnoxious, selfish, and rude person in the school? This was ridiculous. He could manage.

Rathaway was sat at his desk in the back, hood pulled up over his head like always. He was slumped down with his elbows on the table. Cisco walked over slowly. 

“Look, neither of us like this, but we need to work together, alright?” He said.

Rathaway jumped slightly. He pulled down his hood, leaving his hair messy. The boy looked a lot less intimidating like this. He smoothed his hair down, and smiled a little. 

“Cisquito? Why did it have to be you?” Hartley sighed. Was he blushing? No, of course not. Cisco’s hand clenched into a fist at the ridiculous nickname. He tried to continue smiling. 

“We are the smartest people in the class, Rathaway. Are you really that surprised?”

As he spoke, Cisco slid into the seat opposite Rathaway, who was staring at him strangely. He suddenly felt self conscious about the way he was dressed. The messy nerd t-shirt, slightly baggy jeans, and frizzy hair felt disgusting compared to Rathaway’s neat outfit. 

Rathaway laughed dryly.

“I suppose not. Though with all the idiots in this class, being the smartest doesn’t mean much.”

Cisco raised an eyebrow, amused. Some of the smartest people in the entire school were in this class. 

“If you’d bother to give us a chance, you’d see we’re all a lot smarter than you give us credit for.”

Rathaway looked confused at this. What was so complicated about what he said?

“Oh really? Prove it to me.”

That was not what he’d been expecting. It sounded almost flirtatious. Cisco was a little uncomfortable, but it was nice. He was definitely going to prove Rathaway wrong. He needed to be taken down a peg (and he kinda wanted to flirt back). 

“Well there’s me. And Felicity. She’s on her way to MIT. Barry’s a genius when it comes to forensics, and Eddie’s brilliant, considering he hates science.”

He smiled proudly at the other boy. Then it occurred to him that Rathaway probably didn’t recognise any of those names. 

“Nevermind,” Rathaway snapped. Cisco grinned - he had won this argument. 

“What do you want to research?” He continued. Before Cisco could continue, a voice cut in. 

“Hartley Rathaway, asking for someone else’s opinion? How the mighty have fallen.”

Eddie glared at Rathaway fiercely. He hated the other boy with a ridiculous passion that no one quite understood. As much as Cisco liked to see Rathaway annoyed, Eddie was really getting in their way. They needed to get this done. He sighed. 

“Leave it, Eddie. Aren’t you supposed to be working with Winn?”

He pushed Eddie shoulder slightly, giving him a pointed look. The blond boy returned to his desk, smiling at his partner. Winn waved at Cisco with a small smile. Cisco turned back to Rathaway.

“Sorry. He’s… He’s a bit much. Do you want to come over to my house tonight? So we can figure out a good topic?” 

He hadn’t actually meant to say that second part, but they probably would need to work together outside of school to get the project done. Cisco just hoped that Rathaway would let him have some choice in the decision. 

Cisco scribbled down his address onto a paper scrap, and Rathaway took it without even looking. If he didn’t show up later, it was Rathaway’s fault, not Cisco’s, definitely. When the class ended, Cisco headed over to Eddie, Barry, and Caitlin. Rathaway, however, ran straight out of the room. Where did he go after school?

“So, guys. That went surprisingly well, huh?” he commented.

Barry and Caitlin nodded, smiling, but Eddie looked bitter. Cisco rolled his eyes, and headed out. He couldn’t miss the bus home.

The bus ride was much the same as the one to school - Cisco sat alone while Dante deliberately ignored him. As they walked home, Dante finally looked to Cisco. 

“Cisco. How was your day, little bro?” he asked, ruffling Cisco’s hair. 

“Good. Good. I’ve got a… friend coming over today, by the way. Don’t scare them off.”

“Oooh. A girl, dude?” Dante smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“No. He’s my partner on my Science Research Project.”

“Ah.” 

Dante walked ahead, bored of the conversation already. CIsco just sighed, rolling his eyes and sighing. 

When Cisco got home, he went straight to his room, grabbing all of his supplies and settling down to play Diablo until Rathaway arrived. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just thought I'd include a couple of notes to clarify stuff - You don't have to read it ;)
> 
> 1 - Every pair of chapters takes place over the same period of time, just from different POVs (Ch 1 Hart, Ch 2 Cisco)  
> 2 - Every chapter is named after a vaguely relevant episode title  
> 3 - Most of the main characters are Sophomores, there are a few older or younger, like Leonard Snart


	3. Fallout

The Uber driver was very friendly, and they made their way to Cisco’s house in only twenty minutes. The house was pretty small, with a garden of grass and flower bushes. It was lovely, though very different from the houses Hartley was used to visiting. 

He went up to ring the doorbell, only to realise there wasn’t one. Hartley knocked. A boy he didn’t recognise opened the door. He was tall, with messy brown hair and a bright smile (the boy was also, if Hartley was being honest, very good looking). 

“Hey. You’re the kid my little bro said would be coming over, right?” he asked. Hartley couldn’t believe a guy like this was Cisco’s brother. It just felt wrong. 

“That’s me. Can I come in?” Hartley said. 

Cisco’s brother beckoned him in, smiling. He introduced himself as Dante, and Hartley sat down on the sofa in the living room. It was covered in coffee stains, but comfortable. The entire house felt warm and safe. Hartley loved it. 

“Oh. Hey Rathaway,” Cisco said cheerfully, walking down the stairs. 

“Hello Cisquito!” Hartley responded. He didn’t even turn around. 

Cisco bounded down the remaining steps, and collapse down beside Hartley on the chair. He looked far more at home here than he did at school. He was grinning brightly and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which looked really nice. 

“Sorry about the mess. And about my brother. He and my parents will be gone soon though, so you can just forget about him.”

Hartley glanced at Dante, who was still standing awkwardly near the door. He couldn’t tell if he was being kept there by big brother instincts, or out of hope he would see Cisco embarrassed. For everyone’s sake, he hoped it was the former. 

The two teens sat in an awkward, painful silence as they waited for Cisco’s family to head out. They were, Hartley learned, going out bowling. And they had decided to leave Cisco behind, even before Hartley came over. 

“So. They’re gone now. Do you…” Cisco started, trailing off when he saw Hartley’s backpack, “Did you not go home?”

Hartley shook his head, and then changed the subject quickly.

“Let’s figure out a topic. Then we can work on actual research.” 

Cisco nodded, smiling. He motioned to the family’s dining table and they moved over to sit down. 

“I’m going to be honest with you, Cisquito,” Hartley said, “I have no idea what to research. Any ideas?”

Cisco looked at him in surprise. Hartley rubbed his arm, nervous. Perhaps he had shown too much of his real personality. His head hurt. Cisco flicked through a binder sitting beside him. 

“Well… Sonic technology could be interesting,” he commented.

Hartley reached out, pulling the binder away, and looking at the basic research Cisco had collected. It did look interesting. 

“Good idea, Cisco.”

They studied for just over an hour, Hartley searching on his laptop and Cisco taking notes. Soon, though, his stomach began to rumble to the point that Cisco looked up. 

“You missed dinner didn’t you? If you came here from school?” he said. 

Hartley nodded awkwardly, going back to his research. He ran a hand through his hair, and tried to ignore Cisco’s watching eyes, and how uncomfortable they made him. Cisco got up. 

“Do you want some pizza? We have left over takeout,” he continued. 

He continued to ignore the other boy’s pushing. Then, Hartley pulled up his hoodie, blocking his vision. Cisco pulled it back down. He grabbed Hartley’s shoulder. 

“Dude. You look really hungry. You’re pale. Eat something, it’ll just go off if you don’t.”

When Hartley didn’t move, Cisco grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the kitchen. Hartley sighed, rubbing his head. He really didn’t want to bother anyone, especially if that someone was Cisco. 

“Fine. I’ll eat. If we take a study break.”

Hartley smiled a little at Cisco as he reheated the meal. They moved back to the sofa (Hartley sitting with legs crossed, and Cisco perched on the arm of the chair) to eat. After a short while in silence, Cisco laughed. Hartley looked up, confused.

“What, Cisquito?” he asked, hesitant but curious. 

“Firstly, your glasses are smudged,” Hartley wiped his glasses, “And… It’s a little weird to see you of all people on my sofa, eating pizza.”

Cisco chuckled again, and rubbed the back of his neck. Hartley bit his lip, trying not to smile. The other boy seemed (for once) to be happy spending time with him. 

“Going to have to get used to it, for the project,” he said. 

Time flew as they worked. They chattered happily, joking and talking. Hartley realised just how much they had in common - it was a wonder they had never become friends before. Unfortunately, time came for Hartley to go home.

Cisco went outside with him to wait for his Uber. 

“This was really fun, you know, Hartley,” he said. Cisco had pulled on a black jacket, and Hartley thought he looked like something out of an old romance movie. All it would have to do is start snowing.

“It was. Do you want to come over the day after tomorrow to keep working?”

Hartley dug his nails into his hands. Maybe that was too much (it wasn’t, but he didn’t have much practice being nice). 

“Sure. Wait a sec, I have an idea!” 

Cisco ran into his house, coming back with a Sharpie and a scrap of paper. He scribbled something down, just as the car arrived. As Hartley slid into the back seat, he glanced at the folded note. It was Cisco’s phone number. The boy he liked had given him his phone number! He lent his head back against the seat, laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Chapter Title: Hartley is an awkard gay nerd for 958 words.


	4. Power Outage

A knock on the door. Cisco froze, panicking. Hartley was here. He had half expected the other boy to ignore the invitation. He sat nervously, jogging his leg up and down. Had someone opened the door? (And why was he so anxious?)

Voices came from downstairs - Dante had answered. Cisco could almost feel the awkwardness of that conversation from his room. Perhaps he’d wait until it was over before he went down. 

Cisco moved to wait at the top of the stairs. As Rathaway collapsed down onto the sofa, looking surprisingly relaxed in this unfamiliar environment, Cisco bounded down the stairs. He would have to pretend he didn’t know Rathaway was here. Keep up some semblance of normalcy. 

“Oh. Hey Rathaway,” he said, smiling brightly. Rathaway didn’t even turn around as he responded. 

“Hello Cisquito!” Cisco rolled his eyes. 

Cisco jumped the last few steps, flopping down next to Rathaway, trying to appear completely relaxed. As he sunk into the overly soft sofa, he couldn’t help but feel more at home. The other boy had messier hair than normal, and seemed less uptight than he ever did at school. 

“Sorry about the mess. And about my brother. He and my parents will be gone soon though, so you can just forget about him.”

Dante was still hovering awkwardly behind them, and Cisco glared aggressively at him over Rathaway’s shoulder. Why was he eavesdropping? They waited. Cisco shifted awkwardly in his seat. Eventually, the rest of his family (including Dante) bustled out of the door.

“So. They’re gone now. Do you…” Cisco started, intending to ask what Rathaway wanted to do next. Then, he noticed the other boy’s bag, still hanging on his shoulder, and changed his mind, “Did you not go home?”

Hartley shook his head, and changed the subject immediately. Cisco, understanding his embarrassment, allowed the change.

“Let’s figure out a topic. Then we can work on actual research.”

Cisco nodded, and showed Rathaway to the table, which he thought would be the best place to work. He tended to take up a lot of space when he studied. Cisco looked at the other boy, hesitant and waiting for him to start the conversation. 

“I’m going to be honest with you, Cisquito,” Hartley said, “I have no idea what to research. Any ideas?”

Cisco stared at Rathaway in shock. When did Hartley Rathaway not know anything? Rathaway rubbed his arm, seeming almost nervous. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as arrogant as Cisco had always assumed.

He turned away, flicking through his binder. Though he would never admit it to Rathaway, this was all research he’d already written. 

“Well… Sonic technology could be interesting,” he said shyly. Rathaway pulled the binder away from him, looking curious. 

“Good idea, Cisco,” he said, smiling a little. 

They studied in peaceful silence for a while, only disrupted by Cisco’s scratching pen and Rathaway’s clicking keys. However, as time passed on, Rathaway got paler and paler, his stomach rumbling loudly.

“You missed dinner didn’t you? If you came here from school?” Cisco asked. He was genuinely concerned - Rathaway looked sick. He watched, waiting for an answer. Rathaway only nodded, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair, and turned back to his work. 

Cisco was going to have to take matters into his own hands. He stood up. 

“Do you want some pizza? We have left over takeout.” Rathaway continued to ignore him, and then pulled up the hood of his jacket. They were going to have to do this the hard way. Cisco pulled the hood back down, turning Rathaway’s head back to him. 

“Dude. You look really hungry. You’re pale. Eat something, it’ll just go off if you don’t.”

Rathaway still wouldn’t listen. Cisco grabbed his hand, dragging him to the kitchen. Why was this idiot being so ridiculous? Couldn’t he put his arrogance aside for even a second?

“Fine. I’ll eat. If we take a study break.”

Rathaway seemed to be smiling slightly. He put the pizza into the microwave, and punched in the numbers. After a couple of minutes, it was ready. Cisco sat lightly on the arm of the chair, as he often did while eating. Rathaway, meanwhile, was crossed legged in the middle, looking strangely young. 

There was something on Rathaway’s glasses. Was that… pizza grease? That was just too much for Cisco. He burst out laughing. The other boy’s head snapped up.

“What, Cisquito?”

Cisco barely stopped laughing and hyperventilating long enough to answer, but eventually forced out, “Firstly, your glasses are smudged, And… It’s a little weird to see you of all people on my sofa, eating pizza.”

Rathaway pulled off his glasses, rubbing them with the bottom of his hoodie. That would probably just smudge them more. Cisco chuckled, feeling awkward and rubbing the back of his neck. This was almost nice.

“Going to have to get used to it, for the project,” Hartley grinned. Good point, that. 

Time flew ridiculously fast as they continued on. It was fun, and they fell into an easy rhythm that felt as if they had been there before. When time came for Rathaway to leave, Cisco went outside to wait. As they walked out, he pulled on his favorite black jacket. It was cold outside. 

“This was really fun, you know, Hartley,” 

“It was. Do you want to come over the day after tomorrow to keep working?”

Over to Rathaway’s house? Was he trying to show off? Cisco knew that the family was incredibly rich - their house was no doubt enormous. 

“Sure,” he said, then something occurred to him, “Wait a sec, I have an idea!” 

He ran inside, digging around frantically for a pen. Eventually, he found a black Sharpie sitting amongst Dante’s scattered music. Cisco tore the corner of off one piece (something Disney he didn’t quite recognise) and darted back out. He scribbled his number down, hoping he didn’t seem too eager. 

The silver-grey car drove up, and Hartley slid inside, without even looking at the paper clenched in his fist. Cisco watched the car go, and headed back into the warmth, wondering what the strange, warm feeling in the pit of his stomach was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a while! I was having a little bit of trouble with Cisco's POV/voice, but I've figured it out, so uploads should be faster from now on. 
> 
> (Also these guys are such gay nerds I love them).


	5. Potential Energy

**PiedPiperCC - Hey Cisquito. It’s Hartley (Rathaway).**

**GoodVibrations - Hey Hartley!**

Hartley Rathaway had somehow managed to wait until 7am the morning after he received Cisco’s number to text him. By his standards, he was being positively reasonable. 

**PiedPiperCC - Still on for studying tomorrow?**

**GoodVibrations - Course. Can’t wait!**

He grinned like crazy at that - Cisco Ramon, looking forward to seeing him? It was insane, and wonderful. The first half of the day, he ran through in a haze, waiting for lunch, until he could text Cisco again, and tell Axel what had happened. 

As soon as History was over, he practically ran to his usual lunch hiding spot (a practically deserted music room on the third floor) and pulled his phone out. His hands were shaking so hard with excitement, he almost dropped it. That would not have gone down well with his parents. 

Before messaging Cisco, he texted Axel. Technically, he was in class, but that had never stopped either of them in the past. 

**PiedPiperCC - Update on last night! (Also am I going to be embarrassed to be seen with you today?)**

**Trick_Or_Treat - oooh tell me im gonna die (also no not really)**

**PiedPiperCC - So we’re doing sonic technology.**

Hartley smirked, already imagining Axel’s annoyed expression at his evasion. He was not going to be happy about this. Luckily, the good news would make up for any problems this might cause (plus, their friendship was stronger than that).

**Trick_Or_Treat - thats not what i meant you douchebag**

**PiedPiperCC - We hung out for a while. He made me pizza. He gave me his number. We’re hanging out again tomorrow.**

**Trick_Or_Treat - his number????? this is great hes into you**

**PiedPiperCC - I’m not sure, Ax.**

Axel, despite all his charms, was not the best at romance, but there wasn’t really anyone else he could go to. Hartley prayed his advice wouldn’t be the thing to ruin whatever small chance he had. 

**Trick_Or_Treat - trust me mon ami i know things**

**PiedPiperCC - Fine. It’s not changing the way I’m going to act, though.**

He was going to regret this. 

**Trick_Or_Treat - i know. he still thinks youre straight**

**PiedPiperCC - Everyone thinks I’m Straight.**

**Trick_Or_Treat - i dont know why youre so gay it hurts**

Hartley rolled his eyes, and closed the window without saying goodbye. Maybe Axel would be caught texting in class. That would teach him to make fun of his best friend (they’re best friends even if they won’t admit it). He switched over to Cisco, smiling giddily. He didn’t expect a response, but he had to try. 

**PiedPiperCC - Hey again Cisquito. I’m bored.**

He waited, nervous. 

**GoodVibrations - Texting in class??!?!?!? Classic Rathaway.**

Hartley laughed out loud at this. Of course Cisco would be offended that Hartley was texting in class while texting himself. 

**PiedPiperCC - It’s my Lunch. You’re the one breaking rules.**

**GoodVibrations - Fair enough.**

**PiedPiperCC - What class are you in?**

He knew what class Cisco was in - Hartley was pretty sure he’d memorised the entire schedule at this point - but he thought it was better to ask, rather than coming across as creepy.

**GoodVibrations - Sociology. Ms Morgan likes me.**

**PiedPiperCC - Oh Morgan is great. You know she’s Wells’ wife, right?**

**GoodVibrations - Yeah. Where do you sit at lunch? You sound too relaxed for the cafeteria.**

Only Cisco would realise just how stressed that place made him. He blushed. He could feel it. 

**PiedPiperCC - Music Room on the 2nd floor. The empty one.**

Hartley had never told anyone where he spent his lunches. Even Axel didn’t know. This crush was getting out of hand. Soon he would give up something he couldn’t afford to. 

**GoodVibrations - I practice there!**

**PiedPiperCC - Really? What do you play?**

Yet another thing the two of them had in common.

**GoodVibrations - Guitar.**

**GoodVibrations - It’s quiet, and no one ever goes there.**

**PiedPiperCC - Great minds think alike, huh?**

He wondered briefly if Cisco had spotted the hidden (and, admittedly, unintentional) compliment in that. He hoped not. 

**GoodVibrations - Yeah**

The bell rang, and Hartley jumped up. He had never let time run on like this before.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I love these two so much and this fic is my fave I've ever written, so comments are 1000% appreciated.
> 
> \- The Slytherin


End file.
